Lost
by Lossien
Summary: (Currently being re-written) Fred and George are known as the mischievous twins, but in their first year they met Sarah, a girl who would become a fast friend, and maybe something more for one of them. However, Sarah is not all she seems. What is the secret she hides from them? How will it impact their friendship?
1. Meetings and memories

A/N: Hey guys! I had this up a long, long time ago, but in re-reading it to post the next chapter I almost couldn't get through it. So. I am re-doing it.

I have included the original chapter at the bottom of this in italics, so you can see how I really have improved. I need a beta reader though... Gah. Anyways, here she is.

* * *

Sarah laughed as she splashed towards the shore, her hazel eyes twinkling in the full midday sun. She was wearing a black swimsuit, her school robes and uniform laying forgotten on the shore where Fred stood, trying to pull his uniform off in half the speed it took Sarah. He finally managed to get out of his pants, leaving them in an equally messy pile on the shore as he waded into the lake. He squeaked from the cold, causing Sarah to laugh and splash him from her spot farther in. She was always the first in, first under, and last out. She loved the water - the lake had called to her every since her first day, almost two years ago...

* * *

Sarah bit her lower lip and pulled her trunk closer to her body as she watched the bedlam that was Platform 9 3/4 on September 1st. All of the students were running around, laughing and yelling, getting their things onto the train and finding their friends. She turned and said goodbye to her mother, only to see they were both trying to keep tears in. They giggled and Sarah hugged her mother, then went onto the train.

Wandering up and down the corridor, Sarah was forced to conclude that everyone already had enough friends to fill every compartment. The train had left the station and was on its way when she turned from her second trip up and down the length of the train.

"They wouldn't have signed up too many student, would they?" Sarah wondered aloud. She was starting to wonder if she should just wait at the back of the train...

"Nah, they never do. If it's full, though, people have to make friends." Sarah looked up to see a red-headed boy her own age but much taller. He seemed to have already hit his growth spurt, Sarah thought, bemoaning her own short stature.

"Oh, I guess I missed that message..." Sarah said, trailing off and returning the boy's smile.

"Well, you can always sit with me and my brother. We were going to sit with our brothers, but their compartments are all full, so we ended up with a nice kid named Lee Jordan. Here, let me help you." He grabbed her trunk and lead the way to a compartment that Sarah had already passed. He opened the door and threw her trunk up to the overhead compartment, making the introductions.

"This is Lee Jordan, he got the compartment first and was nice enough to share with us. This is my brother, George Weasley, and I'm Fred." At this point, he turned and shook Sarah's hand.

"I'm Sarah Heath," Sarah beamed and sat in the last spot, across from Lee.

The train sped on towards Hogwarts as they sat and chatted, finding out how much they had in common. Sarah was delighted that the twins and Lee were going to be in her year, and as the evening drew on, they formed a friendship that would weather many changes and hardships but never break. It was the beginning of something special.

* * *

_Original Chapter_

* * *

_Sarah peeled off her dress to reveal a nice black bikini underneath. She smiled at Fred, who was still taking off his pants to show his maroon swimming trunks. Sarah raced into the water, always the first one to go in. She laughed when Fred got in to his ankles and complained about how cold it was. She was always the first in, first under, and last out. She splashed Fred and then shrieked when he splashed back. They raced and played, until later, when they relaxed towards the shore and let the waves wash over them. Others looked at them like they were crazy, swimming in the lake at Hogwarts like that, but they didn't mind. It had all started two years ago, on their first day at Hogwarts..._

_She was nervous. Her first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The other students didn't seem to mind as they piled onto the train. She waved goodbye to her mother and father and promised once again to send an owl as soon as she arrived. Walking down the train, she came to a conclusion. Everyone there already had enough friends to fill up every compartment. She finnally got to the last one and noticed that it, too, was full._

_"They wouldn't sign up too many students, would they?" She wondered aloud._

_"Somehow, I doubt that." Someone answered. Sarah turned to see a boy her age with red hair, freckles and an engaging smile._

_"Oh... sorry, it's just, all of the compartments are full, and I don't really have anywhere to sit..." She mumbled._

_"You can sit with my brother George and I, if you like. We were going to sit with our other brothers, but their friends have taken over." the young man replied._

_"Oh, thank you." Sarah said and let him lead her to a compartment just down the way. When she entered she noticed that the other boy looked to exact same as the first boy. She felt out of place with her plain brown hair and hazel eyes, but they soon made her feel at home._

_"What house do you think you'll be in?" The boy who had led her in (who she now knew as Fred) asked._

_"Well, I'd say Gryffindor, by order of elimination. You?" Sarah said and opened her pack to reveal some sweets which she offered around._

_"Gryffindor. Just like the rest of the family." George told her._

_"What d'you mean, 'by order of elimination'?" Fred asked._

_"We-ell, I'm too lazy about school work to be a Ravenclaw, I'm not really a Hufflepuff, and I am NOT a Slytherin. I'm just not mean enough." With the last part, she added a wink._

_"Never really thought of it that way. So Gryffindor's basically a choice by default?" someone said from the doorway._

_"No offence meant." Sarah said and offered the newcommer a sweet._

_"Thanks. My name's Lee Jordan, by the way. I think I'll be a Gryffindor too."_

_As they consumed their sweets, the train cheerily chugged it's way to Hogwarts and the group became close friends and made ties that would change over time, but never break. It was the beginning of something special._


	2. Getting a detention

A/N: So, what was I first thinking? The original chapter had no character development or interaction, and dealt only with the four main characters - the twins, Lee and my OC, Sarah. Dear me. Why did anyone ever read this in the first place? Thank you to everyone who did, I hope re-writing this helps you connect with the characters better. The first chapter is at the bottom, in italics, and I hope that if you chose to read it you understand that I was so much younger.

* * *

_The train sped on towards Hogwarts as they sat and chatted, finding out how much they had in common. Sarah was delighted that the twins and Lee were going to be in her year, and as the evening drew on, they formed a friendship that would weather many changes and hardships but never break. It was the beginning of something special._

* * *

Lee and George looked out the window as the train let out a whistle and started slowing down.

"We're here!" Yelled Lee as the station drew closer. Fred let out a yell as their game of exploding snap exploded in his face, then tried to grab his robe from behind George. There was a slight kerfuffle as everyone tried to organize their things - Sarah's extra candy had ended up on Lee's robe, and Lee's wand had ended up behind Fred's back. They managed to track everything down and find their way onto the platform.

Once there, a very large man was yelling for first years to follow him. A herd of them followed and found themselves being told to get onto the boats in front of them in groups of four. Sarah looked at Fred and saw he was looking at her. She then looked at Lee and George and all of them took the first boat they saw together.

"So, we're definitely going to be in Gryffindor," George said, continuing their conversation from earlier.

"Oh?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. Our whole family's been in it. Our brothers, our parents, everyone. What about you guys?" Fred answered.

"I hope I'm in Gryffindor too." Lee said.

"I figure I have to be." Sarah watched as the other students started settling themselves into boats. There were a couple of students that looked like friends but had missed getting a boat together and were now trying to convince others to switch out so they could ride together

"What do you mean 'have to be'?" Lee asked, perplexed.

"Well, I'm way too lazy to do all of the work they expect of Ravenclaws, and I'm not mean enough at all to be Slytherin, and as for Hufflepuff? Well, I- Oooo!" Sarah inturrupted herself as the boats began to move. The other three grabbed the side of the craft as it started gliding across the water.

As they moved, it started to rain. Sarah watched, entranced, as the droplets hit the surface of the lake, creating ripples outwards that bounced off each other in different patterns. She slowly dipped her hand in, her mind wandering from the boy's discussion of famous Quidditch teams as her own ripples took over the surrounding area and then were beat back by the rain again. Her influence disappeared in the surface of the lake if she held still enough, and the rain began to drip down her hand and join the water, creating no ripples itself.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, pulling it back to the presumed safety of the craft.

"You can't do that!" George said, though Fred had grabbed her wrist.

"Why?" Sarah asked, cocking her head to the side and looking at him, her reverie broken.

"There's monsters in there!" Lee almost yelled.

Sarah laughed. "Maybe one day I'll go visit them."

Fred and George exchanged a look, then smiled.

"Maybe we'll join you," Fred said, and the twins joined in with the laughter.

Lee shook his head at them as they entered a large cave. Every boat was silent as they made their way to the shore and disembarked. They followed the large man up a flight of stairs were they were passed of to an older woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She led them through many corridors and stairs, making Sarah and others completely lose their sense of direction, then stopped in front of a set of large double doors.

The professor left them there, telling them that in a moment the sorting would begin.

Sarah stood completely still, her heart starting to beat faster and faster as the minutes seemed to drag on. She knew she had to calm herself, but her breathing was speeding up as well. She glanced over at the twins beside her and noticed how pale they were. They both looked ready to pass out, she mused to herself. Fred looked at her.

"You look ready to pass out," he whispered. People around them were also starting to speak, hushed. Sarah smiled.

"I was about to say the same thing to you," she explained, then covered her mouth as she giggled. George looked over at their conversation and chuckled himself, then looked at another first year, a girl with long blond hair. She gave them a weird look, and soon Sarah, Fred and George were outright laughing. More and more people looked at them oddly, as they were the only ones making noise, and that only made the three laugh harder.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and they stifled their giggled, not looking at each other so that they wouldn't start again. Professor McGonagall had returned and she ushered them into a very large room that Sarah assumed was the great hall. She gaped at the splendor around her - there were so many students sitting at four large tables, and candles and the head table and - oh! She gasped out loud when she looked up and saw the beautiful veiling. The clouds had passed over, and here and there amongst the remaining ones were patches of stars twinkling down. You could see the sky!

Sarah was so wrapped up in the beautiful night that she didn't notice when the person in front of her stopped, and she walked right into them. It was a girl with long black hair, and Sarah smiled and mouthed 'sorry'. The girl smiled back and they both looked to the front of the hall where McGonagall stood. Beside her, there was a ratty old hat sitting on a stool.

Sarah looked around, confused. She had no idea what was supposed to happen next, and then the professor was calling a name and a boy with brown hair and brown, almost black eyes started forwards, almost tripping. He was nervous, as everyone else was, and he sat down on the stool. The teacher placed the hat on his head, and the room was silent. Sarah was starting to really get nervous about what was going to happen when the brim of the hat opened wide and it shouted out 'Ravenclaw!'

"So the hat... sorts people into different houses?" Sarah guessed in a quiet whisper. Someone shushed her and she fell silent, trying to figure out how the hat made its decision. She was certain, for the next five students, that is was something physical, and then someone who looked to Sarah like a Slytherin was sorted into Hufflepuff. Sarah was silent and confused until she was surprised by her own name.

"Heath, Sarah," McGonagall called and Sarah sat down gingerly on the stool. She waited, holding her breath, until the hat was placed on her head. She was frightened into breathing when there was a voice speaking inside her head.

'_Well well... what do we have here? A Ravenclaw, perhaps...'_ the hat whispered into her head.

"No!" She thought back. "I can't be in Ravenclaw, if I am I'll be-"

'_Well well, no need to panic. We can also put you in...'_ Suddenly the hat brim opened up and yelled out "Gryffindor!"

Sarah stood and finally looked at the tables around her. She didn't notice when McGonagall took the hat from her head, but she did notice one table yelling loudly and cheering for her. She glanced at the other tables and saw some people whispering and looking her way. She blushed and tucked her head down, sitting on a bench to a warm welcome by fellow students. She looked up briefly when the professor called the next person (Johnson, Angelina, the girl with the long black hair Sarah had walked into earlier) and she was sorted into Gryffindor as well. When Jordan, Lee, was called next, Sarah paid attention and cheered with everyone else as he was sorted into Gryffindor. Then the run of Grffindors seemed to stop as people were sorted into different houses. Finally, only the twins were left at the front of the room to be called.

"Weasley, Fred," McGonagall called. The hat barely touched his head when it yelled out "Gryffindor!"

"Weasley, George," McGonagall called. People started talking as George walked up. Sarah assumed they didn't have a lot of identical twins come through Hogwarts.

The hat was still in her hand, just touching George's head when the brim opened wide again and shouted out "Gryffindor!"

He smiled and sat down at the table next to his twin and they high fived eachother as the older gentleman at the middle of the table called for silence. Sarah smiled - Dumbledore, the head master, looked exactly like his Chocolate Frog card. He stood up and said a couple of words, then suddenly food appeared on all the tables.

Sarah grabbed the mashed potatoes beside her and started loading them on her plate, then the roast beef and yorkshire pudding. She ate with a gusto, finishing her first plate and then second, then starting on her third before the boys around her had a chance to finish grabbing seconds.

"Woah, Sarah," George piped up "You eat a lot."

Sarah smiled at him, not noticing the older girls at her table giving her odd looks. They were still on their first plates.

"Well, I'm a growing girl," Sarah replied and smiled before finally putting her fork down. She looked at the food, trying to decide which she wanted more of when it disappeared. She was disappointed for only a moment - the table was quickly covered with deserts - everything she could think of.

They ate in relative silence, then listened to Dumbledore's speech after everyone had eaten their fill. Sarah walked with the rest of the first years to the Gryffindor common room, chatting excitedly with Fred, George and Lee on their way.

"Charlie says that the suits of armour sing carols at Christmas," George said excitedly as they passed three suits of armour.

"Who's Charlie?" Lee asked.

"One of our older brothers." George replied.

"There's Charlie and Bill," Fred said.

"And Percy." George made a face.

"Ron and Ginny are younger," Fred said.

"Neither are in school yet, but Gin's the only girl-"

"So mum spoils her."

Sarah laughed, as did Lee and the twins.

"Are any of them still here?" Sarah asked. She looked around as the prefect let them into the common room, distracted by the roaring fires and the couches and tables and then there were staircases leading up...

The prefect told them which stairs were which dormitories and Sarah ran off, going to claim her bed. The other girls were making their way up the stairs as she was coming down.

"Oh, I just put my robe on the bed I wanted," Sarah said in passing to Angelina.

"No problem," Angelina replied as the girls continued upwards.

"So, you were saying?" Sarah asked as the boys started coming down their stairs, having claimed their own beds.

"Yeah, well, Percy's right over there." George pointed out. Sarah looked over to see a very stuck-up boy who looked a few years older than herself. He had the same fiery red hair as the twins, and looked scathingly at the people around himself, trying to hush them.

"So," Fred said as they found a couch and all sat down. "Why, do you think, the girls' and boys' dormitories are so separate?"

"Why, I have no idea," Sarah said and they all laughed. Percy chose that moment to lean over the side of the couch and look at them with suspicion.

"What are you four up to?" He asked, looking them all in the face and trying to see what they were laughing about.

"We-ell, we could -" George started.

"-tell you, but then-" Fred continued.

"We'd have to kill you." Sarah finished. They stayed serious for a beat, then all four of them burst into laughter. Lee actually fell off of his seat, and Percy walked away disgruntled.

"And with that bit of mischief managed, I think it is bed time." Sarah said and stood up. "Don't want to be late getting our time tables, right?" She asked, then yawned. She disappeared to her dormitory, where the other girls were chatting.

"Good night, guys," She said, crawling into bed. As much as she would have loved to get to know them better, she was dead tired. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

When Sarah woke up the next morning, she raced down into the dormitory to watch the sun rise in the red and gold room. She was enchanted by the dance of sun on the walls, watching the portraits sleep. It was when she watched a bird soar past the window that she realised she was still in her pyjamas. She caught sight of her reflection in the glass of the window and ran, getting back to her dormitory only slightly out of breath. She was changed in a moment, skipping her way across the dormitory and out into the hall. She did, in fact, get lost on her way to the Great Hall. She was therefore not the first there.

"Hey guys..." She said a little sheepishly as she sat down across from the boys.

"Hey. D'you sleep in?" George asked with a mouth full of food as Sarah reached for the bacon and toast.

"Uhh... not really, I got lost." Sarah admitted with a small smile. She managed two plates of breakfast before McGonagall, who told them she was their head of house, and handed them their schedules. Once she was gone, they leaned forwards and compared.

"Do all of the first years have the same schedule?" Lee asked.

"I think each house does... see how we have Potions with Ravenclaws this morning?" Sarah said.

"Oh! We don't start for another hour..." George said.

"...What should we do?" Fred asked, leaning across the table.

"I have and idea..." Sarah said conspiratorially, leaning into Fred.

"Oh?" He asked.

"We should..." She trailed off, pausing dramatically and all three boys leaned forwards.

"...Go swimming!" She finished, and sat back happily. She popped the last of a pancake into her mouth and stood up.

"I'm going to go grab my things and then head down to the lake, who's with me?" She asked.

"But... the monsters!" Lee said, then shook his head. "I'm out."

"Yeah..." George looked over at Fred and smiled. "You go. I'm staying inside."

"Meet you in Potions." Fred said, as he and Sarah stood up. They found their way to the common room quicker in a pair than Sarah would have alone, grabbed their school things, and made their way down to the lake.

"We only have ten minutes or so..." Fred said, trailing off when he looked over at Sarah. She was already in the water - she socks, shoes, and robe sitting in a pile on the shore.

"Are you coming in?" Sarah yelled back as she waded in deeper and deeper. She was up to her knees, the hem of her skirt just above the water. She slipped on a slimy rock and laughed as water seeped up the side of her skirt.

"I'm in, I'm in!" Fred called, holding his rolled pant leg, stopping it from falling into the water. "Gah-! This water is freezing!" He gasped, and raced back to shore.

Sarah laughed, then made her way back to her things. They stood on the shore as their feet dried, then put their socks, shoes, and robes back on.

"What time is it?" Fred asked as he tied his last shoelace.

"Uhmm... I think we're late..." Sarah said, seeing there were no students as they entered the castle again.

"We should run." Fred said. He grabbed Sarah's hand and they raced for the dungeon, getting only slightly lost.

"Here!" Sarah announced loudly as they finally found the right door. She was about to knock on the door when it swung open of it's own accord, a large, greasy man standing behind it.

"Where have you two been?" He asked, sneering at them.

"Well you see, there was this GIANT monster and it-" Sarah started.

"Stole our socks and shoes! We couldn't get them-" Fred joined in.

"Back, so we had to fight it with our very limited magic,"

"See here, where it slobbered on Sarah?" Fred said, pointing to the spot where the lake water had crept up her skirt.

"Yeah! It almost had me, but Fred saved me."

"So here we are, a little late..."

"...but alive."

Sarah and Fred looked at the teacher with their breath held, wondering what his reaction would be.

"Ten points each from Gryffindor for your tardiness, and twenty points for that ridiculous tale. If you are late again it will be fifty points each and a detention. Take your seats."

He turned and stalked back to the front of the classroom. Sarah and Fred had no problem seeing that Lee and George had saved them seats near the back.

They stayed on their best behaviour for the rest of the week, attending classes on time and trying to keep their shenanigans to a minimum. They were successful in staying mostly out of trouble, only loosing twenty more points for their house as the days progressed. They were in the common room on Sunday night when they noticed that there was a new notice on the board of announcements. They were wondering what it was when Lee came and told them in an excited voice that their previously free period before potions was now going to be flying lessons.

Sarah had a hard time sleeping that night, her mind kept wondering to the next morning, wondering how she would do with the brooms. When she woke up, she looked around the room and saw her own bags echoed on the other girls. It looked like no one had slept, and Angelina gave her a shy smile.

"You nervous too?" She asked.

"Yeah. It's kind of the biggest deal, right?" Sarah replied.

"Yeah, I wanna play Quidditch after school..." Angelina confessed. She blushed and Sarah smiled back at her.

"Cool." She finished getting dressed and made her way to the field where the lesson would take place. She was nervous enough that she knew food would have been a bad idea.

She was the first one there, but everyone else was there well before the teacher. She introduced herself as Professor Hooch, and started the lesson right on time. There were no great mistakes - almost everyone's broom came to their hand when they called, and those who didn't had it within a couple of tries. They mounted and hovered, and had even moved onto breaking and flying in a low circle before the end of the class. Hooch thanked them for their work and Sarah, Fred, George and Lee were the first people to raise their hands and offer to take the brooms back, much to the grumbling of the other students.

They gathered up the brooms as everyone left and Sarah tried to keep the smile off of her face. They were subject to more than a few glares as everyone left.

Once they had all of the brooms, they marched carefully over to the shed, trying not to drop any. Lee reached the shed first, and leaned his brooms against the side as he opened the door. It was just in time for George and Fred to put their brooms straight in, and then Sarah put hers in. They started handing Lee his from the side, and then George paused, a broom in his hands.

"Hey... race you around the shed." He said, looking at Sarah. She snatched the broom back from Lee's hand, it was the last one to go back.

"You're on!" Sarah shouted, jumping onto her broom.

"I'll call!" Fred yelled, abandoning his job of holding the door. It shut on Lee, who opened it with a broom in his hand.

"I'll race the winner!" He called.

Sarah and George hovered in front of Fred, who held out his arms.

"On your mark..."

"No cheating! I'm watching," Le said, laughing.

"Get set..."

"Stop!" Someone else cried.

Sarah fell off her broom in surprise at the voice, and George and Fred laughed at her. Fred also reached forward and helped Sarah back up, George grabbed the broom before it could fly away.

They all paused and looked at the old man, he was grumpy and hunched over with a cat at his heels.

"Well, well... what do we have here?" He asked, cracking his knuckles.

Sarah turned white, as did the boys. Fred and George's freckles stood out in stark contrast, and Lee looked like he was going to faint.

They found out quickly that the grumpy old man was called Mr. Filch. The caretaker. And he had the ability to give them detention. Which he did.

They raced away as soon as they could manage and slid into their potions classroom right before Professor Snape.

They were quiet until they were released for lunch, and Sarah was the first of her group of friends to pack up her things and make it to the Great Hall.

"Man, where do you put all that food?" Fred teased as they sat down around her.

"I told you when we first met - I'm a growing girl," Sarah replied, and they all laughed.

"Hey, before History of Magic this afternoon, I wanted to go to the library and check out some awesome spells. Some of the Slytherins in Transfiguration need to be taken down a peg.."

"Yeah, they're getting so annoying." Sarah chimed in. "I'll come."

"Me too," Fred said hastily, standing up and starting to gather his things.

"Don't leave me behind," George laughed, gathering his things as well. Sarah noticed the look he gave Fred's head as they left the Great Hall. It was odd... but she wasn't sure what he meant by it.

* * *

_Original Chapter_

* * *

_When they finally arrived at the School, Sarah was glad of her friends. She went with them to stand on the platform, and when a large man called to all the first years, she went with them. Fred sat beside her in the boat as they floated along the lake to the school. There was a slight drizzle, but she didn't mind._

_"This lake would be so cool to swim in!" Sarah exclaimed and dipped her hand in the water._

_"There's all kinds of monsters down there!" Fred said and grabbed her hand as if to save it form whatever lurked in the deep._

_"That's alright. I'm not afraid. Maybe one day I'll go see all of the monsters." She said and flicked some water at him._

_"You go right ahead and do that. I might have to join you, though."_

_"You have a taste for adventure?"_

_"Indeed."_

_When the boat reached the far shore they were led to a room to await their entrance into the Great Hall. Fred tried to scare Sarah with tales of different tasks they had to complete, and George joined in._

_"I don't believe either of you." Sarah replied and pretended to ignore them. Just then the ghosts appeared. Most of the other children screamed but Sarah coughed and then started laughing. George gave her a weird look, but just then a teacher appeared and ushered them in._

_"Now, when I call your name, please come and sit on this stool so that you may be sorted. Once you are sorted, please sit at the appropriate tables." The teacher called out and started reading their names off of a scroll. Sarah's name was towards the beginning, so when she was called she went and sat down. She tried to show courage, but inside she was shaking._

_'Ahh, another first year. What house shall you go in?' a voice whispered in her head. 'Ravenclaw? You have the intelligence, the qualities that they admire... but no, I see something else for you. Not Hufflepuff... I think perhaps...'_

_"Gryffindor!" The hat called out._

_Sarah gratefully went to sit down on the Gryffindor bench and waited for the Weasley brothers and Lee Jordan to be sorted. She had to wait until nearly the end of the list before they were sorted into Gryffindor. They quickly came and sat beside her, however._

_"That wasn't too hard." Fred said as Dumbledore gave a speech and then the food appeared. Sarah piled her plate high with food and dug in, eager to consume it. She had a healthy appetite and it took her a while to notice the looks she was getting._

_"Are you going to eat all that?" George asked, unbelieving._

_"Of course. Why else would I take so much?" Sarah replied and dug in. She was on her second serving while the rest of the girls in the nearest vicinity were still eating less than half of what she had. They looked at her and giggled amongst themselves, but Sarah really didn't mind. She had always had a healthy appetite, and a very high metabolism too. She got to her third serving just as the twins were pilling up their second. It was wonderful food and she hardly had time to finish before it disappeared and they were supposed to get into groups to go to their common rooms. She walked with Fred, George and Lee and the others for a bit until they ended up at a portrait._

_"Splendificus." The older person at the front said and the portrait swung open to reveal a lovely room. Sarah stepped in and immediately gasped at how pretty it was, with roaring fires and a beautiful colour scheme of red and gold. She clapped her hands together and ran forwards. When she was at about the middle of the room, she looked up and twirled around in a circle, just happy to be there. She raced up to the girls' dormitory and claimed a bed before racing back down to jump at Fred and hug him._

_"What's this for?" Fred asked, more than a bit befuddled._

_"I'm just really happy!" Sarah said and released him before skipping around the room and inspecting every nook and cranny. Her search was accompanied by little exclamations of things like 'hey, there's a hidden cupboard over here!' and 'Ooo! I never would have guessed that this was there!' When she finally completed her search she sat down on a couch and looked into the fire, calming down and bit and letting everything sink in. Fred and George came and sat beside her._

_"So, it seems as if the guys and girls are in separate dormitories. I wonder why?" She said and gave them a wink._

_"I know what you mean." George replied, playing right along._

_"What are you three up too?" Percy (George and Fred's older brother who Sarah had been introduced to earlier) asked as he waltzed by._

_"Oh, well, that's top secret information." George said._

_"And if we told you-" Fred added in._

_"-We'd have to kill you." Sarah finished off and the three burst out laughing._

_Percy muttered something and stalked off, leaving them to congratulate each other on an excellent delivery._

_"Well, I'm kinda getting tired... I think I'll head off to bed." Sarah said and waved goodnight before heading back up to the girls' dormitory._

_The next morning she was the first one up. She raced down to the main level before she realised she was still in her pyjamas and raced back up to change, brushing her chin-length hair quickly and then straightening her tie before racing back down and tripping over an area rug. She got up and fixed her skirt just as she heard laughing behind her. Turning, she saw Fred and George coming down the steps to join her in the common room._

_"I was thinking of getting an early breakfast then heading down to the lake for a few minutes. You guys wanna come?"_

_"Ugh, I think I'll pass." George said and sat down._

_"I'll come." Fred said. He and Sarah found their way to the great hall and had something to eat before the rest of the students got there. They then went outside towards the lake._

_It was a warm day, and Sarah found herself taking off her robe and draping it on her arm. They wandered right up to the edge before they both stopped._

_"I dare you to go in." Fred said, half joking._

_"Okay, hold this." Sarah replied. She handed him her robe, then her shoes and socks as she took them off before wading into the water. She got to her ankles and then stopped. "Well, aren't you coming in? The water's fine."_

_Fred shrugged and rolled up his pants and took off his socks and shoes so that he could come in._

_"It's bloody cold!" He said and stopped when it reached his calf. Sarah waded in farther until she was up to her knees._

_"I think it's beautiful." She walked around for a little while until they saw the morning post come in._

_"Oh no!" Sarah cried and raced towards the school, grabbing her robe, shoes, and socks on the way, not noticing that she had gotten her skirt a bit wet. "I forgot to send my parents an owl last night! They'll be furious!" She ran right in and up to the owlry. Fred was hard-pressed to keep up._

_"How do you know where everything is?" He asked as he panted and Sarah scribbled a quick note to her parents._

_"Woman's intuition, I guess. Aw man, I think we're late for our first class... Potions, I think it was. With Professor Snape, right?" She asked even as they raced to get their books then down to the dungeons._

_"Yeah. I heard he's a real harda-" Fred stopped just outside of the room and Sarah knocked politely on the closed door. It swung open to reveal a very greasy looking teacher._

_"Yes?" He asked._

_"Very sorry sir, but we were late because there was-" Sarah began._

_"A monster that stole our socks and shoes and then we couldn't get them back-" Fred added in._

_"And so we had to fight it with out using magic, of course-"_

_"And then it slobbered on Sarah, see the wetness?"_

_"Yup, and it almost ate me! But Fred saved me-"_

_"And so here we are. A bit late,"_

_"But alive."_

_Snape just looked at them. He opened the door wider and they took the hint to enter the classroom and sat down at the back. They took out their books and began writing down the note. It was hard work, as Professor Snape moved very quickly along with the material and Sarah had little time to spare. When they were done that class, it was time for their flying lesson. Sarah skipped ahead of the class out to the field where they were going to learn. She sang a little ditty, too. They reached the brooms, and she was ahead of everyone by quite a bit. She went around and looked at all of the Brooms critically before stopping in front of the one she felt was the best. George, Fred and Lee all took brooms close to her._

_The flying teacher gave them instructions and Sarah followed them with little difficulty. Her broom went to her hand when she called it, and she kicked off with no problem. By the time the teacher had helped the students that needed it, it was time for them to go. Sarah volunteered to put the brooms away and the teacher allowed her and Fred, Lee, and George to do it. They put them back, but Sarah kept one out._

_"Watch this." She said. She mounted it sidesaddle and allowed herself to float a few metres off of the ground._

_"That's nothing." Lee said and grabbed one and mounted up, floating a few feet higher than Sarah._

_"Oh, you think that's high?" Sarah asked and flew up at least ten feet before looking down at the boys. "Ha! My awesome side-saddle-ness is so better than what you could do!"_

_"I beg to differ!" Lee said and rose to the challenge. Soon, they were racing around the shed where the brooms were kept and playing tag. It wasn't long until the Weasley twins joined them and it became more of a 'girls against boys' game of tag. Sarah was winning until she had to stop to avoid hitting a very grouchy looking old man. She lowered herself and got off the broom, silently putting it away, the rest of the group following suit._

_It turned out that the grumpy old man's name was Mr. Filch. And he had the power to give them detentions. Which he did. Through out their groaning and whining, he gave them each a detention and sent them on their way to lunch._

_"Man, I wonder what we'll do for detention." Lee said as they went into the great hall and had some lunch._

_"I heard that they send you into the forbidden forest!" Sarah said excitedly and piled up her plate._

_"But it's forbidden!" Lee replied._

_"Hey Sarah, can I ask you something?" Fred asked._

_"Sure."_

_"Where do you put all that food?" He asked and looked at her slim frame. She smiled._

_"Well, my stomach is actually more of a pit stop for food, and then it travels down into my hallow leg, which has a black hole which leads to a third world country where I feed millions of starving people."_

_"Really?"_

_"No."_

_They laughed and realised that they all had a free period next._

_"You guys wanna come with me to the library and get some awesome spells to use?" Sarah asked the group before they disbanded._

_"Sure!" Lee said for the group and they started on their way._


	3. Filching from Filch

They reached the library shortly and Sarah entered first, motioning for the boys to be quiet. Unfortunately, they weren't. Sarah had to shush them multiple times before they finally quieted down. She seemed to know where she was going and strode purposefully towards a certain bookshelf. Once there, she looked up at the books and then blinked a few times. She shook her head and reached up with her right hand to pick out an old, dusty volume. She furrowed her brows when she realized that she wasn't tall enough to reach it, and attempted jumping a bit. Unfortunately, this only caused others to look over at her. Fred, George, and Lee had disaperated somewhere, and she was left by herself, to her consternation. She stood there and stared at the bok until someone cleared their throat behind her. She twirled around and saw a young second-year Gryffindor boy named Wood or Log or something.  
  
"Do you need any help?" He asked, looking from her to the book with his soft brown eyes.  
  
"Well, if you can reach that book, then yes. The one called 'Quidditch through the Ages.' I meant to get some books on spells and things, but this one looks so much more interesting, don't you think?" Sarah said as the boy reached up and got the book for her.  
  
"Yeah, it does. I'm trying out for the quidditch team this year. Apparently, they need a new keeper." He replied and handed her the book.  
  
"Wow! I'm so envious of you! First years aren't allowed to try out, and chances are that next year I'll-" Sarah cut herself off. "I'm Sarah, by the way."  
  
"I'm Oliver. Nice meeting you, but I have to go. Maybe we'll meet again." He said and turned to leave.  
  
"Maybe. Good luck on the tryouts!" She called after him and was immediately shushed. She rolled her eyes and then grimaced. "I need more sleep," she murmured to herself and rubbed her temples.  
  
"Need more what?" Someone said beside her and she jumped and turned to see a mop of red hair.  
  
"Fred! You startled me." She kept a firm grip on her book and cocked her head. "Where did you guys all disappear to?"  
  
Fred rolled his eyes. "We went and got some awesome spells, just like you suggested. Although, come to think of it, you weren't with us, and therefore must have had an ulterior motive. This shall require investigation and interrogation. Come with me, if you'd please." Fred grabbed her hand and she smiled as he led her over to George and Lee, telling them a tall tale about how she was a criminal mastermind and how they must interrogate her. They grinned and George grabbed her other hand before they led her out of the library and into the hall. She started giggling as George tied her hands behind her back and then led the way, Fred and Lee acting as guards. They came across a few teachers, but none gave them any grief, other than one.  
  
"And where do you think you're going?" Snape asked as they turned a corner in the dungeons.  
  
"We must interrogate this poisoner, sir. She has ulterior motives." Lee said and they all laughed.  
  
"Really? Then perhaps I should take over this case. If you are serious, that is." Snape said venomously.  
  
"Urk, no, they aren't serious. It's just a gam, sir. We were actually headed on our way to... uh... to go get our stuff for our next class. Transfiguration, I believe. Well, we'll be off now. Bye!" Sarah then walked quickly out of the dungeons and back to the Gryffindor common room. Once there, she fiddled with her bonds for a few moments, finally managing to get them undone. She looked down at what they had used and then looked up at the boys.  
  
"A belt?" She asked.  
  
"What else were we going to use?" Fred countered.  
  
"It's not like we carry around rope," George said.  
  
"Maybe we should, though," Lee replied. Sarah rolled her eyes and went up to her room and grabbed her materials for her next class. By the time she came back down, it was time to go. They had a very busy class writing notes and didn't have a chance to talk as they rushed off to their next class. In fact, the next chance they got to relax was at dinner that night. Sarah sat with Fred on her right and Lee opposite her, George sitting opposite of Fred. The food was delicious and they slowly made their way back to the common room afterwards. They were stopped at the Fat Lady's portrait by Mr. Filch.  
  
"Weren't fergettin' yer detentions, were ye?" He asked and his cracked lips broke into a smile.  
  
"Er-" Lee said, but he was cut off.  
  
"Right this way. There be some trophies that need polishin'." He ginned and led them to another room. There they spent three hours cleaning and polishing various awards and trophies before Filch would let them go. They staggered out of his office and tiredly made their way back to their common room. Sarah's arms were killing her and she seemed to be a bit slower than the others.  
  
"You alright?" Fred asked, concern evident in his voice.  
  
"Just tired." She replied with a smile, then coughed a few times. She rubbed her eyes as they made it through the portrait and up to their own dormitories.  
  
The next few weeks were a blur as they settled into a routine and got the hang of all the school work and assignments. They had finally adjusted by the last few weeks of October, just in time for Hallowe'en Feast.  
  
==============  
  
Sarah came down from the girls' dormitory wearing something that the boys had never seen her in. Her hazel eyes looked especially green because of a green t-shirt that she wore with a back skirt and black sweater. On the sweater were small mammograms on the upper left side that were her initials, in the same shade of green as the shirt. Her stockings were also green, her shoes black. A number of Gryffindor students gave her dirty looks, and it took her a moment to realise that she was wearing Slytherin colours. When she did come to this realization, it was too late, for they were half way to the great hall. Oliver caught up with her and the boys, looking very flushed.  
  
"Sarah! Did you hear? I got in! I'm the new Gryffindor keeper!" He gushed in his welsh accent and Sarah hugged him while congratulating him. She didn't see the look of jealousy on Fred's face, nor did she hear his low growl. "The first practice is tomorrow. You should come watch."  
  
"I'd love to!" Sarah replied as they entered the great hall. "But first, you have to tell me everything that happened. I have to know."  
  
Through out the feast, Oliver told Sarah exactly what had happened, not leaving anything out, though occasionally back tracking. She hung on his every word, and as time passed, Fred became more and more agitated, until Sarah was forced to turn to him and say,  
  
"Fred, what on earth's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." He replied, not really knowing himself.  
  
"Obviously it isn't nothing. You're slamming things downs, talking loudly, interrupting conversations, and in a generally horrible mood. You weren't like this before dinner." She looked both worried and angry.  
  
"He's probably just tired," George said, giving his brother a strange look.  
  
"I don't think so." Percy jumped in. "I think that he's jealous. This's how he usually gets when he's jealous."  
  
"I'm not jealous." Fred said darkly.  
  
"What would he be jealous of, though? He didn't get this way until Oliver... oh!" Sarah blushed. "I guess we have been rubbing it in your face." Sarah apologised, thinking that he was upset because Oliver had made the team and he would have to wait at least another year before he could even try out. Fred looked at her quickly and then turned red. The real reason that he was upset was because of the attention Sarah was paying Oliver, he told himself. He stopped suddenly. Now why would he be upset about that? She could talk to whomever she wanted. But she never hung n his every word like that.... He shook his head and continued eating, oblivious to the odd looks that George was giving him.  
  
They ate for the rest of the meal in relative silence before everyone filed out of the hall. In the corridor, Sarah pulled Fred and George aside, letting Lee Jordan continue on his way, blissfully unawares.  
  
"Hey, did you two know that Filch keeps all the stuff he takes from students in one place? In his office." She had a mysterious glint in her eyes and looked from one twin to the other. "He's asking for it to be taken, you know." She continued. "So, I thought that we should teach him a lesson, and take something. Not steal, just, 'borrow'."  
  
The twins looked at each other, then at her and grinned. They nodded and she lead them down a side corridor. From there, she let George and Fred take the lead as they made their way to Filch's office.  
  
Once there, Sarah tried out a lumos spell that she had learned and they opened the door. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief when they noticed that Filch was out. Sarah went in first and immediately made her way to a filing system which she opened. She rifled through until she found a rather large piece of folded parchment. Fred took it out and held it up.  
  
"Wonder what it does," he whispered and George took out his wand.  
  
"Tell us your secrets," he said and pointed his wand at the parchment.  
  
"Please," Sarah piped up, thinking that it would be more likely to tell them if they were polite. Words suddenly appeared on te parchment.  
  
Misters Padfoot and Prongs would like to congratulate the young students on finding the map.  
  
"Map?" Sarah said and looked as more words appeared.  
  
Mister Wormtail extends a greeting, and Mister Moony would like to know why you have this parchment.  
  
"Erm... it was kind of in Mr. Filch's office. We, err, 'borrowed' it." Fred said.  
  
Misters Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs then insist you solemnly swear you are up to no good. Once finished, tell us that your mischief is managed.  
  
They looked at one another. George shrugged and, not noticing that his wand was still on the parchment said, in time with Sarah and Fred, "We solemnly swear we are up to no good." Lines stared appearing on the parchment, and very soon there was a map. A map that showed where everyone was, and who they were. In fact, when Sarah looked at it closer, she realized that the pointers were moving as the people moved! She jumped over a step and peered over at the map. Surely enough, her pointer had moved. She studied the map again and noticed that it said it was the Marauder's Map.  
  
"The Marauder's Map..." She whispered aloud. Suddenly, they heard some footsteps in the hallway. With a quick glance at the map, they knew it was Filch and Mrs. Norris. They fled from the room, still holding the parchment, and turned down the opposite way from where Filch was coming.  
  
Sarah realized with a start that they had left the door wide open and ran back to close it. She got there just in time to close it and turn before Filch spotted her.  
  
"Hey, what're yew doin' 'ere?" He asked suspiciously.  
  
"Sir, up at the astronomy tower, two students are... they're... doing something inappropriate." Sarah gasped, as if she had run all the way just to tell him. He turned red before running off to the astronomy tower, and Sarah ran back to Fred and George.  
  
"Good one, Sarah." George beamed.  
  
"Way to think fast." Fred said and smiled at her. She smiled back at them and they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room for the Hallowe'en party, quite pleased with themselves and what they had managed to pull off. 


	4. Cookies and complications

When they got there, they found loud music and lots of food. Everyone was talking excitedly and dancing, some eating. Sarah made a bee-line for the food, but Fred stopped her.  
"What're we going to do with the map?" He asked in hushed tones. George was right there, also listening.  
"You two hang onto it. I think you'll probably want to show it to Lee, though. I'm going to get some food, alright?" Sarah replied.  
"Yeah, sure." George said excitedly and ran to find Lee. Fred followed him after a moment of hesitation.  
Sarah made it to the food and grabbed some cookies before finding a chair and nestling down in it. It was a big red arm chair and she found it very comfortable, so she wasn't surprised when she began to feel drowsy. Her lids were almost completely down, regardless of the noise level and cookie she had consumed when Fred made his way over to her.  
"She's asleep." He said to himself.  
"No I'm not." Sarah mumbled and opened her eyes. She was surprised to see how close Fred was to her face. She could feel his warm breath, his lips on mere centimetres from his. Her heart quickened. Her impulse was to close her eyes, and she wondered at it. Fred looked like he was about to do something when someone cleared their throat. Fred's head whipped back and Sarah turned to see who had done it.  
It was George. And he had an odd look on his face. Fred's heart had also quickened, but now it slowed. Sarah's, however, would not. Her breathing became laboured and her face became white. She gasped for air and Fred turned back to her. When he saw her clutching her heart, his face also went white.  
"Sarah! What's wrong?" He asked, very concerned. George was with him, at her side, in a second.  
"Percy! Percy, help! Something's wrong with Sarah! Help!" In a moment the room became quiet as Percy rushed over to see the small girl. Her eyes blanked and started closing.  
"Somebody get Madame Pomfrey." He said quietly and it was done. Meanwhile, he slapped her cheeks gently, trying to get her to breath and live again, for she was essentially dead.  
Madame Pomfrey rushed in with a potion in her hand. She felt Sarah's pulse and forced the potion into her mouth. Instantly, Sarah gasped and started coughing.  
"Madame -cough- Pomfrey -cough-!" She then had a coughing fit and it was a few moments before she could speak again. Her eyes had watered slightly and she absentmindedly wiped away a tear that threatened to trail down her cheek. "Thank you, ma'am. I wasn't expecting that."  
"Sarah, we talked about this. You know that I have to send an owl to your parents. If it is going to happen again, let me know. You shouldn't be getting yourself into these situations in your-"  
"Yes ma'am. I understand. It won't happen again. I'll be very careful." Sarah replied.  
"Even so, I would ask you to spend the night in the infirmary so that I may keep an eye on you."  
Sarah nodded in affirmation and then looked down at the floor. Madame Pomfrey looked up and noticed that all of Gryffindor had crowded around the armchair to see if Sarah was alright. Taking Sarah's hand, Madame Pomfrey assisted Sarah up, off the chair and out of the portrait, all the way to the infirmary. Some students tried to follow, but she waved them back, claiming that Sarah would be quite fine for a night and that they could surely leave her be to get some rest. Sarah, on the other hand, did not want to be alone. What she really wanted was a reassuring hug and a cuddle with her parents. Though she did seem to be wise beyond her eleven years, many times she felt much, much younger. One of those times was now.  
Madame Pomfrey appeared to have better things to do once she put Sarah in the infirmary, leaving her alone in the dark, oppressive room. It was empty, and once Madame Pomfrey's footsteps faded into echoes and then silence, no sound took their place. In fact, the only sound Sarah could hear was her own breathing in the eerie darkness. It was beginning to really creep her out.  
Suddenly, she heard a noise where the door was. A slight creaking on the floor boards. She stiffened, her heart racing. No, no! Calm down! She couldn't afford another attack. With difficulty, she took many deep breaths and managed to calm. It was just the castle settling.  
"Sarah?" A voice whispered.  
"Fred!" She called, almost sobbing with relief. How she had wished in the past hour to hear a friendly voice, and, like magic, he had appeared.  
He wandered over the thresh-hold and muttered a simple spell they had learned earlier in the year that let a bit of light come from the tip of the wand. Spotting her in a bed close to the windows, he made his way over, the map from their adventure in hand.  
"I thought you might be a bit lonely." He said rather aloofly. Sarah looked at him with her head titled to the side, a question forming in her mind. She decided that it wasn't too important and shrugged.  
"It's kinda scary, to be truthful. I just want my mum and da." She said and sniffed. "And my stuffie Raoul." She was almost crying again.  
"You mean your stuffed lion?" Fred asked and produced it from behind his back.  
"Raoul!" Sarah cried and took it from Fred. She hugged it to her chest and took a deep, shaky, breath. Fred smiled and then rose to go. "Wait, Fred." Sarah said when she noticed. "I-please, I don't want to be alone... would you mind staying here and... keeping me company?" Fred gulped nervously and nodded. Sarah smiled timidly and took his hand as he sat down in a chair beside her. They looked at each other as the light from the wand slowly faded and they both fell asleep.A/N: Hehe! Me here! What do you all think of this chapter? I have a good idea of what'll happen in the next one, so expect it within the week. Read and Review, please! I love getting reviews, even if they're flames! 


	5. Angelina confesses

When Sarah awoke, she was facing Fred. He still had her hand, and he was now awake. She smiled at him as the golden light of the new day swept in from the window and he cocked a grin back at her. Her hair was a bit mused, as was his, but neither seemed to notice. They sat in silence until madame Pomfrey bustled in. Then they hastily removed their hands and looked at the nurse.

"Alright, Sarah. You did well last night, you may go now." Madame Pomfrey nodded her head and continued bustling around. "Just remember to keep activities to a low and don't let yourself get excited. I want no more episodes like last night, or worse ones."

Sarah nodded timidly and took her stuffed animal with her as she got out of the bed and padded out of the room, Fred beside her. He was rubbing his neck, it being sore from sleeping in an arm chair. They made their way back to the common room and slipped quietly into their respective dormitories. Sarah was not tired, though, and knew that most of the other students would be up within the hour. She settled on a nice hot shower and delighted in selecting a very large, very fluffy towel to dry herself off on afterwards.

The water was almost scalding, and it took a few moments for her to adjust to the heat. She shampooed her hair with a special shampoo her mum had bought for her on her last birthday. She also used the scented soap and conditioner that matched. Stepping out of the shower, she dried herself and slipped into her school uniform. She also wrapped her hair in the towel and walked back to the dormitory, her mind up in the clouds.

Once in her room, she noticed that another student, Angelina, had woken up. She said good morning as she towel dried her hair so that it was no longer dripping and then searched for a brush.

"Oh, good morning." Angelina replied. "You're back! How are you feeling?"

"Good. I'm good now, I swear. Sometimes I just get..." Sarah trailed off and brushed her hair.

"Attacks?" Angelina supplied as she dressed. Sarah nodded. "Like asthma?"

"Yeah, kinda. I guess I never thought of it that way." Sarah confessed. "Do wizards even get asthma?"

"I think so." Angelina replied. "They probably have a spell or something to help with it, though."

"Yeah, probably. You have to feel sorry for the muggles, they're really unlucky for their illnesses and things."

"I know. I can't believe that they still don't have a cure for the common cold. I mean, we've had a potion for how long?"

"I know!" Sarah beamed. Just then another student, Katie, snorted in her sleep and rose her head a bit, slowly waking up.

"Can you two keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep." She said. Sarah glanced at her watch.

"There's only an hour before classes start."

Just then there was a yell from the common room. Sarah raced with Angelina out the door and down the steps to see what the matter was.

George and Fred were standing in front of Percy, who's face was red with yelling and who had some green concoction splattered all over their robes. The girls started giggling furiously, and when Percy turned to get angry at them, they fled from the room and down to the great hall to have breakfast.

They were still giggling like mad when they sat down and started eating bacon and eggs and sausages.

"Did you see Percy's face?" Sarah snorted.

"Yes, it was so funny! I wonder what they did to him..." Angelina trailed off and they both burst out laughing again.

"It looked like snort." Sarah said through her giggles and bites of food.

"That's a lot of snot. Do you think it was Fred or George's?" They laughed even harder.

"Probably both of theirs." Still giggling, they finished their meal and decided to wander around the castle. They finally calmed down by the time they reached the second story bathrooms.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Angelina began. "I was wondering... I mean, you're friends with the twins and everything.. Do you know if George likes me?"

"I don't think so." Sarah said slowly, not wanting to let Angelina down. "I think that he's still in the stage where he thinks girls are icky."

"Oh... okay." Angelina replied.

"But, I mean, if he did like someone, he probably wouldn't tell me anyways. I mean, I'm a girl, right? And come to think of it, he does look at you all the time in potions..." Angelina brightened up at that.

"Really?" She asked. Sarah nodded. Now that she thought about it, it was obvious that George liked Angelina.

"Other than that, he mentions you all the time. This one time, we were going to play a prank on you, but he flat out refused to. And then there was this other time when I caught a look at a piece of parchment that he had and it had you name on it. And the time you got a detention with Snape? He ranted on and on about how unfair Snape was."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, he definitely likes you. And you have a crush on him, don't you?"

"Uh..." Angelina turned red.

"Aw, you guys would be so cute together! Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No! Don't tell him!"

"What do you want me to do, then?"

"Oh, I don't know... drop hints or something."

"This is George we're talking about. He doesn't take hints."

"Then, well, find out for sure if he likes me or not and then tell me, alright?"

"Sure, I can do that no problem!" Sarah replied. They walked back to the common room arm in arm, talking and laughing the whole way. They had forgotten the Percy incident, but were reminded when they entered the common room and stumbled across him, still in a very bad mood, but in clean clothes.

"And where have you two been?" He demanded. Sarah rolled her eyes. "Don't-"

"We went to have breakfast, Perce. I mean, it is legal to do that, right?" Sarah taunted.

"You shouldn't be so disrespectful to your betters!"

"Elders is what you mean, I'd imagine. Don't tell me you're better than I am." Sarah never spoke back to Percy, so this was a first for him.

"Young lady, I-"

"I'm not that young, Perce. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get my things and get to class. I hope that's alright with you, oh Lord of the Common Room?"

Percy was livid, but Sarah simply whirled around and went to get her things. Angelina reminded her to ask George before they headed out.

They sat next to each other in history, so it was easy for Sarah to pass him a note. She scribbled quickly on it 'do you like anyone?' before sending it to him. Unfortunately, he was used to the notes being for all four of them, Sarah, him, Fred, and Lee. Therefore, when she got it back, written on it was 'Yes' 'LIKE like? Or just like?' and 'Maybe. Do you?' The first was Lee, the second George, and the last, Fred.

'Like as in LIKE like. Like, have a crush on. (Woah, that's a lot of likes) And who do you like?' Sarah wrote.

'Katie.' Lee wrote.

'Promise you won't tell anyone?' George wrote. Fred didn't write anything.

'I promise. And Lee, that's so cool! She's really nice.'

'Thanks.'

'I like Angelina. Do you have a crush on someone?'

Again, Fred wrote nothing. Sarah was about to reply when the class ended and they headed up for their next class.

"Well, do you?" George asked. Sarah thought for a moment, even though she knew she didn't have to. She had liked someone for a while, but she wasn't ready to let the guys know.

"Maybe." She replied with a smile. She looked at Fred but they both quickly looked away.

"That's the same answer Fred gave. C'mon, do you like someone or not?" Lee prompted.

"Yes, I like someone." Sarah said and suddenly became very interested in picking out her seat in the class room and arranging her supplies. She paid attention during the whole class, taking her notes dutifully and refusing to pass notes. The teacher didn't notice, as she usually payed attention during class, but passed notes when she thought the teachers didn't notice. George didn't get a chance to talk to her until afterwards. Once the class was over, he and Lee seemingly pounced on her.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Who what?" Sarah replied, her mind still on the lesson.

"Who do you like?" Lee supplied.

"Oh. I was, ah, hoping you'd forget that and not ask me."

"I told you who I like." George said.

"And I told you too." Lee piped up.

"Yes, but Fred didn't have to, therefore I don't have to." Sarah replied, somewhat smug with herself for figuring out a way to get around it.

"Well then, Fred, time to come clean." Lee said and turned on the twin. George, however, just gave Sarah a searching look before turning his attention to the trail they were making to the Great Hall.

"Leave him alone, Lee." George said, and Fred sighed with relief. Sarah gave him an odd look, but they entered the room and the food soon distracted her.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! I will try to update again soon, but I hope you all like it. Review, please! I will now allow anonymous reviews, go me! What will happen next? Who does Sarah like? Who does Fred like? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Oh yeah, disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters. Just a few souls I have picked up here and there.


	6. Let me die

It was a delicious meal and Sarah was soon to forget their previous conversation. The subject was not raised again until two weeks later, during dinner one evening.

"Yeah, I think you should," Sarah was saying in hushed tones to George, who was sitting next to her. Lee, on the other side of George was also close, and Fred was practically lying across the table so that he could be a part of the discussion.

"What if she says no?" George said. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"We've been over this. She told me she likes you." They were talking about Angelina, and the three friends were trying to convince George that he had a chance.

"But I-"

"There she is! Go ask her!" Sarah urged as Angelina waltzed into the hall.

George stood up, then looked ready to sit down again, but Sarah pushed him towards her.

"Oi! Angelina!" Fred called out. "George wants to talk to you!" Sarah winked at her friend and Angelina turned a delicate red before turning her attention to George.

From what the three could see, George looked down at his feet and asked something very quickly and quietly. Angelina blushed a bit more and said something in return before leaning a bit closer. George sighed, glared at his friends and then, deciding to be dramatic rather than shy, fell onto his knees and clasped his hands in front of him. This time, he spoke loudly enough for his words to be heard over the din of the Great Hall.

"I said, Angelina, will you do me the great honor of being my girlfriend?"

They saw her giggle and nod before George jumped up and kissed her some-what shyly on the lips. A quick peck, but Fred gasped. It was George's first kiss. George turned red as he and Angelina split up and sat down with their different group of friends. Sarah and Lee sat open-mouthed as Fred's eyes bulged.

"What was that?" Fred was the first to speak.

"My girlfriend." George replied happily.

"You... just... blow my mind away." Sarah replied. She coughed and turned to the food on her plate.

"Woah," all that Lee said.

"So, when are you going to hook up with the person you like, Lee?" George asked. He sounded cocky.

"After Sarah and Fred hook up," Lee replied. Fred almost choked on what he was eating and Sarah spit her water out. "With the person they like," Lee quickly amended.

"I... no. Not anytime soon." Sarah managed to get out.

"Yeah, not for a while." Fred said.

"Oh really? And what if I did to you two what you did to me?" George said.

"You wouldn't." Fred was scared.

"You don't know who I like." Sarah replied, calmly eating some soup.

"Who DO you like?" Lee asked.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you just so you can blackmail me."

"I promise I won't if you tell me." George looked at her pleadingly. Fred didn't say anything, just looked like he didn't want to know, and at the same time, was dying to know.

"We-ell... it's a boy." Sarah looked at the faces around her. "That you know. Quite well, in fact." They had all leaned in to hear her soft voice. "Aaaaand, his name is..."

"Sarah!"

The three turned to see Oliver walk over to them. Sarah turned red, and the three took it as a sign that the person she liked was Oliver.

"Are you coming to see the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match this weekend?" He asked.

"Of course! Have I ever missed a game?" Sarah asked happily.

"Okay, well, I'll see you then, then. Talk to you later." He then walked off. Sarah finished her soup and started to rise.

"Well, bye guys. I'll see you all in the common room. I have tonnes of homework that I have to do." She got up and left in a hurry, making Fred believe that she was going after Oliver. He slammed his spoon down and glared evilly at Oliver's retreating form as he disappear through the doorway.

"Man, what is with you lately?" Lee asked.

"It's... complicated." Fred managed to choke out through his anger.

"He like her." George said quickly before turning back to his food.

"What? Who, Sarah?" Lee asked. George looked at Fred, who simply nodded once.

"Oh.. but doesn't she like...?" Lee trailed off. "Oh."

"Yes, 'oh'. Good work, George, Lee. Now she's off to put the moves on that... and I'm stuck here, alone." Fred was furious, his face turning a red colour that matched his hair, his fists clenched tightly. He was talking through his teeth.

"Well, I'm here mate." Lee said. Fred turned and glared at him evilly before standing up suddenly and walking out of the Great Hall. Lee and George turned back to their food quietly.

Fred walked past the portrait to the Gryffindor common room and kept walking until he reached the main doors. He opened them angrily and walked outside, letting the cool October air cool his anger. He broke into a run until he was forced to stop at the quidditch pitch, gasping for air, his breath showing as small wisps of mist upon the black night before they slowly faded into the darkness. He punched the wall, then cradled his now hurt hand against his belly. Fred leaned against the same wall and tried to catch his breath. It took him several moments, and when he realized that he was fine now, he heard some singing. It wasn't lyrics that he knew, in fact, he doubted it was a song at all. It sounded as if the person singing it was making it up as she went. Her clear soprano voice was faintly heard past the walls of the pitch, and as Fred found the already open gate inside, he saw her form in the middle of the pitch, singing up to the sky, dancing around. She opened her arms wide and the wind brought a few snippets of the song over to where Fred stood.

"...I am already dead.

Leave me here,  
Let me fly,  
Leave me here,  
Let me die..."

Her voice grew until he could hear it firmly, the sound reverberating throughout the pitch, bouncing off of the stands and creating a chorus of voices that sang with her.

"Let me die..."

The last note hung in the air as the echoes sung back the same not, then it dropped, and Fred felt as though the spell that had him enthralled was only let off when she took a curtsy to an invisible audience and thanked them, turning to thank the people behind her. She spotted Fred, and Fred saw her standing there.

Her hair was still in the headband that it had been in at dinner, but the slight wind had tousled it slightly, making it a bit messy. Her shoes had been forgotten somewhere to the side and she stood, barefoot, in her uniform (without the robe), in the chilly night.

"Oh, Fred..." He could see that she had turned red, even in the black of the night. A cloud moved and the full moon shone down directly into the pitched, lighting her with its blue tint.

"Hey." He replied, equally embarrassed at being caught. She slowly walked over to him, but stopped when she was about ten feet away.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, her hazel eyes reflecting moonlight.

"I came to... wait, what are you doing out here? I thought that you had 'tonnes of homework' to do." Fred crossed his arms over his chest and Sarah smiled.

"I just wanted to be alone, to think." She looked up at the sky and Fred was painfully reminded of his crush on her, and her like of Oliver.

"About you boyfriend?" He snarled, surprised at himself.

"Boyfriend?" Sarah was clueless. "But I don't have a... oh, Oliver?" She laughed, a deep rich sound that echoed back, just as her singing had. She snorted and then gasped for breath. She was taking a while getting her breath back...

Just as Fred stepped forwards to see if she was alright, she took a deep breath and returned to normal.

"Oliver isn't my boyfriend. In fact, I don't even like him in that way." Sarah smiled. The crisp air and bright moon were giving her courage. "I like someone completely different, and I'm going to ask his brother whether or not he likes me back. I wonder where his brother is right now. Usually they're together, but at rare moments they're not."

Fred stood there, racking his brains, trying to figure out who he knew like that. It sounded very familiar, but he could not place who she was talking about.

"In fact, they're separate right now." Sarah said, giving him a hint.

"Who are you talking about?" Fred asked, perplexed. 'If only George were here,' he thought to himself. 'He's never here until I need him. Wait... George and I are always together...'

Sarah smiled as she saw the realization on his face. She then gathered up her shoes, stockings and robe and headed out of the pitch to go find George. 


	7. Pebbles break the bridge

A/N: Now, you don't think I'd solve it that easily? Of course not:throws a wrench into the works: There! Now, don't worry, I do have another chapter coming. Possibly tomorrow. All depends. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Hogwarts or etc, only Sarah, and the plot here and there.

* * *

Sarah skipped out of the pitch with her shoes in hand. She was quite happy, and she missed the large stone that was tossed right in front of her path. She only noticed it when she tripped and landed on her hands and knees. She thought the stone had always been there, until she heard laughing.  
Turning, she saw some older students, slytherins, the lot of them. She gasped when one stepped forwards and she noticed that it was a ravenclaw. They had another rock in their hand, and they were aiming it at her.  
"Why...?" She coughed and shivered slightly, the now November air was quite chilly.  
"You're a mistake"  
She hadn't been expecting this, not so soon. She thought that she might have been able to have a few more months, maybe a year before-  
A rock hit her on the forehead and broke her concentration. She raised her hand and realized that she was bleeding. A cough escaped her and the group of older students laughed at her again. The ravenclaw didn't seem as amused, though, and began throwing handfuls of pebbles at Sarah.  
She staggered to her feet and ran for the safety that Hogwarts represented. She didn't have to deal with this if she didn't want to! That's what her mother had told her, many years ago, and she believed it. She had to.  
The front doors opened easily and she started to calm down and headed up the stairs, only to notice that the second floor girl's bathroom was flooding.  
Always curious, Sarah wiped her forehead free off blood and wiped away the tears that she hadn't been aware that she had been crying. She walked into the bathroom and heard someone sobbing.  
"Ah, hullo?" She was tentative; if the person didn't want her there, she would leave very quickly.  
The sobbing continued uninterrupted.  
Sarah tiptoed in farther and turned a corner, only to see a girl sitting on the floor in the corner, crying. Sarah didn't hesitate to sit down right next to the girl and put her arm on her shoulder. She was not very surprised when her arm slipped right through and became very cold. So, this person crying was a ghost.  
"Leaving me, just because I'm dead?" The person taunted as Sarah rose.  
"Not really. I just figured that you wanted to be alone." Sarah spoke truthfully.  
"Because I'm dead, right? You hate me because I'm dead!" The other person became hysterical and started sobbing again.  
"No! Not at all! I don't hate you! In fact, I think that you're rather brave"  
"Stop lying to me!" The ghost wiped her face and rose, starting angrily at Sarah. "I know that you think I'm pathetic! You think I can't hear the girls talking about me? They call me Moaning Myrtle. That's not a good name, if you didn't realize"  
"I don't think that they mean it quite like that-" Sarah was cut off by the distraught ghost.  
"They talk about me all the time. 'Can you believe that Myrtle?' 'No, what this time?' Just because I'm dead doesn't meant hat I don't have feelings, I still feel!" Myrtle was on a good rant, now. "I hate them all, just as they hate me! It's not my fault that I'm like this, I mean, I had no choice"  
"STOP!" Sarah screamed. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her chest heaved. "What do you mean it's not your choice? Somewhere, you chose-" Myrtle snorted.  
"And what would you know about it, you're alive." She said alive as if it were some disgusting thing.  
Sarah opened her mouth and then closed it. The anger was gone from her body, and she was suddenly tired.  
"If you want to believe that, Myrtle, go ahead. One person isn't going to change your mind." She smiled sadly and left the bathroom, heading back to the tower.

At the fat lady's portrait, she met up with Fred, having completely forgotten their earlier conversation.  
"S-sarah! Did you, ah, talk to that person you were looking for?" He was beet red, but Sarah was too busy thinking to really notice.  
"What? Oh, no. I was sidetracked, but it wasn't that important." She brushed a few stray pieces of hair from her face and said the password, entering the common room. Fred remained out in the hall.  
"Wasn't that important?" He was very confused. "I guess... maybe it isn't as good as I thought it was. Why isn't it that important? I mean, I'm glad that she likes me, but why did she put it off like that? If I knew for sure that she liked me, then I wouldn't wait for anything. Maybe she actually does like someone else, then"  
"Are you going in or not?" The fat lady asked, more than a little angry at having to wait.  
"Oh," he flushed a deeper red and gave the password before entering and heading straight up to his dormitory and bed.

The next day passed, and then the next, and so on and so forth, until it was winter holidays. Sarah started to drift away from the group, dreading the rumors that she knew were going to start to spread. She distanced herself the most from Fred, neither of them mentioning that night at the quidditch pitch. It was the third day of holidays when Sarah realized how much she had distanced herself.  
She was sitting at the breakfast table, eating early, and enjoying the silence and the falling snow when she got an owl. The bird was old, and crashed into her glass of milk. She helped it up and took the letter carefully from it's leg.  
Realizing that it was from Fred and George, she blushed. She hadn't really remembered that they had gone home for the holidays with their older brothers.

Sarah;

How goes it? Hope you're holiday break is going good so far! We know that this is kinda early, but we wanted to make sure you're having fun! We sure are. Our little brother Ronald is scared of spiders so we've been having a grand old time with a few candy ones we bought in Diagonally during our Christmas shopping yesterday. We got you a present! Don't worry, we don't expect TOO much in return. Just a few hundred galleons worth of candy.  
Have lots of fun for us, okay?  
Fred and George

Sarah smiled to herself, a warm fuzzy feeling invading her at her friend's concern. Then she noticed that there were two other letters attached to the owl in 'inconspicuous' places. It seemed as if both the boys had written her a letter that they didn't want the other one to know about. She opened George's first.

Sarah;  
I know that we sent you another letter, but I'm worried. Fred keeps moping around, and it's getting worse. It started two months ago, and he still won't tell me what's wrong. Do you know? I can't stand it! Please, if you have any ideas at all, let me know. I need to talk to you in person about some ideas I have, but not until we get back. I think he might-

She dropped the letter, refusing to read any further. If he put what she thought he would, then... she shook her head to clear it. She was not going to let this happen. It wouldn't happen if she didn't want it to.  
She skipped to the end of the letter.

-and so when I get back, we'll talk, right?  
Thanks for listening, you're a great friend.  
George.

She put the letter in her pocket and tried to forget about it, picking up Fred's letter and opening it carefully.

Dear Sarah;  
I know that we already sent you a letter, but I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. George said that you'd been a little weird lately and (there was a large blotch here, as if someone had written something and then crossed it out) I wanted to make sure you're okay.  
Fred

She wasn't hungry anymore, so she picked up her school bag and headed up to the library. It was chilly there, but she didn't mind as she picked a book about the mysteries of the wizarding world and settled herself down for a long read.  
She didn't notice the passage of time until the librarian came over and asked her to leave the library, as it was closing. Sarah blushed slightly and left in a hurry.  
Her dormitories were empty as she snuggled into the bed and tried to sleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered the letter, and tried to force herself to stay in the bed. Involuntarily, her hand reached out and took the letter from the pocket of her robe that was sitting on a chair near her bed.

-but not until we get back. I think he might like someone we know. I'm also worried about you. You're pulling yourself farther and farther away from us, and that makes me very worried. What are you afraid of? Fred and I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that. Right? If there's something else bothering you, you have to tell someone, even if it's not me. You just need to get it out, believe me. I would suggest a diary, but those are too easy for someone else to read (Ginny stopped trying to keep one when she was seven). So please, tell someone. I know that anyone would be willing to listen, even Fred. He's a bit dense, but even he could help.

Sarah was about to cry. Fred was part of the problem, though!

Just try it, and so, when I get back, we'll talk, right?  
Thanks for listening, you're a great friend.  
George.

She wanted to scream at him. Why did he have to notice? Guys were supposed to be dense! She screamed into her pillow instead and wrote them back a letter.

George and Fred;  
Yeah, I'm fine! Thanks for owling me. Don't worry, I have a present for you guys, even though I think you might have to share it. I'm having lots of fun, too! Just today, I got so caught up in a book that I stayed there until I was kicked out! I know this may sound weird, but neither of you two worry, okay? I'm fine! George, we can talk if you want, and Fred, don't worry. Both of you are like mother hens, sheesh! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'll send your presents to you by owl, and I hope that you guys have fun. I'll see you after holidays.  
Sarah

She put the letter on the chair with the letter that they had sent her, and then turned over and tried to go to sleep.


	8. Memories and greetings

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter blah blah blah Draco's an idiot blah blah blah...

* * *

In the morning, she got out of bed quickly and stretched before she padded her way down into the common room and then to the owlry. She didn't see many people, but that was most likely the earliness of the hour and the fact that it was the holidays. She refused to think that people were avoiding her, no matter how many Slytherins smirked or Ravenclaws turned corners as she approached. It was simply coincidence. 

She clutched the letter to her chest until she was standing right next to the owl, with a piece of string in her hand. She had gotten the boys a book on practical jokes and some gift certificates for Zonko's, which she had heard made excellent tricks and things. They were all wrapped together in a small brown package, and she also carried a gift for her mother.

Her mother's gift was covered in brown paper, but a tiny tear had formed on the bottom corner, showing the red wrapping paper with green ribbon that delicately held the two items together. A small picture frame was inside, with the picture of Sarah in her Hogwarts robes in it, smiling and waving. Enshrined in the paper with the photo was a long letter, detailing her days at Hogwarts and her ideas, hopes, and even a few of her dreams. It was edited, though, missing chunks of her life that she had always kept hidden from her mother. The pebbles, the taunts, the hexes that flew at her from around corners. Her mother needed to be protected from that, needed to think that her daughter lead a normal life.

Her mother needed to believe that Sarah was not a mistake.

The letter was long enough to pad the frame, keep the glass from braking on its long journey from Hogwarts to Sarah's home. She carefully placed a kiss on it and sent it with a bigger owl before turning to a smaller white owl with the twins' presents and letter. She carefully tied it all together and sent the owl on its way.

She was heading down to the Great Hall when she was stopped by Peeves. He jumped out of nowhere and startled her, forcing her to take several minutes to catch her breath as he spoke at her.

"You! You're that Sarah girl, aren't you? Sarah Hearth? The mistake? Heard the ministry tried to get rid of you, cover you up. You're not even supposed to be here. What your mother was thinking, I'll never know, but obviously there wasn't much thinking going on. You're worse off-"

Mainly in a panic, Sarah covered her ears gently and started singing softly to herself. Her mind disengaged from reality to the point where she dropped her hands and stood straight, here eyes unfocused as Peeves ranted and raved at her. She was drifting in time, thinking back to when her mother had first told her about her father.

_Five years old, with a blue ribbon in her hair, Sarah ran from the front yard into the waiting arms of her mother. Tears were tracing a fragile path down her young face with tragic consistency as her rosy lips gasped for air against the sobs that held her in throw._

_Her mother picked her up gently and cradled her trembling body, humming softly._

_"The-they c-called me a f-f-freak-k," Sarah got out through her chocking sobs. She was working herself into hysteria, heightened only by her mother's shock at that statement._

_"Why?" Her mother asked, worriedly._

_"B-because I don't have a –" The last word was forgotten in a new wave of sadness, hurt, and humiliation. Only five, and she was learning to be afraid of her peers, to fear their reactions and betrayal._

_"Father." Her mother filed in, a gentle affirmation of her worst fears. Sarah's sobs were renewed, and it was a few minutes before her mother could calm her down. By that time they were on their way home, walking through the park._

_"Mommy…" Sarah said quietly, a seriousness creeping into her voice. "I know that I must have a daddy, I can… remember him sometimes."_

_Her mother was shocked._

_"But you never-"_

_"I know, mommy. I never met him. The thing is, sometimes I know people before I see them. Like I always knew them. So I know I have a daddy, but he doesn't know I even exist."_

_"Oh, honey…" Now her mother's eyes were filling with tears, unable to lie to her daughter and comfort her._

_"It's okay, mommy. I know he can't. But still… Mommy… can you tell me about him?"_

_Her mother paused before deciding that she owed her daughter that much, at least._

_"He… is very intelligent. His mind is a wonderful place, and he will remember anything he's ever read. He's handsome, and the kindest person you'll ever meet." Her mother's eyes were fogged over, her mind off in another time, when she had first met Sarah's father._

_"…But I'll never meet him." Sarah concluded, her eyes clear and sad. Her mother scooped her up into a hug, comforting Sarah._

_"Mommy, I know that he can't meet me, but why can't I meet him?" She asked, the question making perfect sense in her own mind._

_"Just as you're… different… he is too. Just in a different way." Her mother was trying to tell her about him without giving away too much information, but it was difficult._

_"Like he's a vampire or werewolf?" Sarah asked, excited. Her mother stiffened, then relaxed when she saw that Sarah was too young to realize how close she had come._

_"Almost," she said, hugging her daughter before placing her back on the ground._

Sarah was started to reality when a shock of red hair hit her. It bowled her over and into the floor. She let out a yelp as another bit of red started throwing hexes at Peeves, who was laughing hysterically as they had no effect. He zoomed off when George (for the red was both Fred and George) threatened him with the Bloody Baron.

She stood up, rubbing her head and disregarding the hand that Fred offered to help her up.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, happy, but with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. Now they would find out, and they would hate her.

"Well, we were tellin' mum about school, and you came up, and then we mentioned how you were staying here over holidays, all by yourself-" George started.

"So she got all mad about how we were leaving you here, and told us to come back. So we did." Fred finished.

They helped her back to the common room, where they all took a seat around the fire.


End file.
